PDT Magnifier Camera Illumination

ABSTRACT

A device that enlarges text and images to enable a low vision person to see the text and images includes a hollow structure including a top housing and a bottom housing that are connected to one another. A camera aperture is formed in the bottom housing and a transparent light guide lens is disposed in closing relation to the camera aperture so that all light entering the camera aperture must first pass through the light guide lens. A cavity formed in the light guide lens is bounded by walls that are positioned at a critical angle. Light-emitting diodes are positioned at critical locations about the periphery of the light guide lens to illuminate the object being viewed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED DISCLOSURES

This disclosure is a continuation of U.S. provisional patent applicationfiled Mar. 21, 2006, Ser. No. 60/767,353, entitled: “Camera MagnifierIllumination,” by the same inventors, and which is incorporated byreference into this disclosure.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates, generally, to devices that enable people havinglow vision to read printed documents. More particularly, it relates to acamera in an electronic magnifier requiring symmetrical illuminationwhen used in contact with or near a target object such as a printeddocument.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Using a magnifying glass to enlarge print is problematic. The glass mustbe positioned a specific distance from the paper to obtain optimalmagnification, and the paper must be well-illuminated.

The art has therefore moved in the direction of using video cameras toview the print and to drive a liquid crystal display (LCD) that displaysthe camera output in enlarged form. Such systems typically include amagnifier system where magnification is determined by the distance tothe object to be viewed, the ratio of sensor to display size, andoptical features of the camera. In the future, the optical features ofthe camera may perform the magnification.

Uniform, symmetrical illumination of the object being viewed hasremained problematic. Thus, there remains a need for a low vision readerhaving an LCD display of a well-illuminated object.

Conventional low vision readers require a user to either hold the readerabove the document or to use clumsy stands to hold the reader above thedocument.

Thus there is a need for a low vision reader that does not require auser to hold the reader in hovering relation to a document, either withor without a stand.

However, in view of the prior art taken as a whole at the time thepresent invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinaryskill how the identified needs could be fulfilled.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The long-standing but heretofore unfulfilled need for a low visionreader including an LCD display of a well-illuminated object is now metby a new, useful, and non-obvious invention. The invention also fulfillsthe need for a device that need not be held over a document in hoveringrelation thereto when in use.

The novel device enlarges text and images to help a low vision personsee such text and images. A hollow structure includes a top housing anda bottom housing that are connected to one another. A camera aperture isformed in the bottom housing and a transparent optical light guide lensis disposed in closing relation to the camera aperture so that all lightentering the camera aperture must first pass through the optical lightguide lens.

Significantly, the device rests atop the document or other object beingviewed. Accordingly, no stands or other means for hovering the readerover the document are required. The reader is easily slideable from onepart of the document to the next, and the part of the document beingviewed is always well-illuminated with symmetrical lighting so thatthere are no dark spots or other abnormalities in the LCD outputdisplay.

A first undercut is formed in the bottom housing adjacent a first edgeof the camera aperture and a second undercut is formed in the bottomhousing adjacent a second end of the camera aperture. The optical lightguide lens has a first mounting flange at a first end thereof, a secondmounting flange at a second end thereof, and a raised section betweenthe first and second mounting flanges. The first undercut is defined bya first overhang and is adapted to receive the first mounting flange.The second undercut is defined by a second overhang and is adapted toreceive the second mounting flange.

The first mounting flange has a length in excess of a depth of the firstundercut so that a first space is created between the raised section ofthe light guide lens and the first overhang. The second mounting flangealso has a length in excess of a depth of the second undercut so that asecond space is created between the raised section of the light guidelens and the second overhang.

A printed circuit board is disposed in overlying relation to an interiorside of the optical light guide lens. A window or opening is formed inthe printed circuit board so that light can pass through the light guidelens. A first pair of light-emitting diodes is secured to a first end ofthe printed circuit board adjacent a first end of the camera apertureand a second pair of light-emitting diodes is secured to a second end ofthe printed circuit board adjacent a second end of the camera aperture.The first pair of light-emitting diodes is disposed in the first spaceon opposite sides of a longitudinal axis of symmetry of the cameraaperture and the second pair of light-emitting diodes is disposed in thesecond space on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of symmetry ofthe camera aperture.

An important advantage of the invention is that the object being viewedis illuminated in an optimal way by the light emitting diodes (LEDs)that are strategically positioned about the perimeter of the opticallight guide lens. The optical light guide lens has a specific structurethat bends light rays emitted by the LEDs into the object being scannedwithout any reflections of the LEDs on the camera.

Another major advantage is that the novel structure minimizes lightleakage about the periphery of the optical light guide lens.

These and other advantages will become apparent as this disclosureproceeds. The invention includes the features of construction,arrangement of parts, and combination of elements set forth herein, andthe scope of the invention is set forth in the claims appended hereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention,reference should be made to the following detailed description, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a bottom housing;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the interior side of the novel lightguide lens;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the exterior side of the novel lightguide lens;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 in FIG. 1 andalong line 4-4 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view depicting the light guide lens and thebottom housing when connected to one another, including an LED, the PCB,and the stiffener; and

FIG. 6A is a simple ray trace diagram indicating how light rays areaffected by the mirror of the incorporated disclosure;

FIG. 6B is a raytrace diagram indicating the effectiveness of the anglea.; and

FIG. 6C is a raytrace diagram indicating how the novel positioning ofLEDs relative to the novel structure of the optical light guide lensaccomplishes the even illumination of the object being viewed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/308,298, entitled “Magnifier HavingSlideably Mounted Camera,” filed by the same inventors on Mar. 15, 2006,which application claims priority to U.S. provisional patent applicationNo. 60/595,003, entitled: “Portable Electronic Magnifier,” filed by thesame inventors on May 26, 2005, is hereby incorporated by reference intothis disclosure.

FIG. 1 of the present disclosure depicts bottom housing 12 that isengaged at its periphery by sidewalls 14 a, 14 b, 14 c, and 14 d of tophousing 10 depicted in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4 of the incorporated disclosure.Generally rectangular opening 12 a is formed in said bottom housing 12at a first end thereof so that when bottom housing 12 is attached to tophousing 10 of the incorporated structure, opening 12 a is inregistration with mirror 26 of the structure depicted in theincorporated disclosure. Thus, rectangular opening 12 a is understood tobe a camera aperture. The user of the device slides opening 12 a overthe text or other image to be enlarged and the enlarged text or imageappears on LCD screen 14, depicted in FIG. 2 of the incorporateddisclosure.

Light guide lens 14 of this disclosure is positioned in registrationwith camera aperture 12 a when the novel device is fully assembled.Light guide lens 14 is made of a clear plastic, preferably Plexiglas®acrylic resin.

Upstanding pegs 16, 17, and 18 are formed integrally with light guidelens 14 and are adapted to engage openings denoted 16 a, 17 a, and 18 a,respectively, formed in bottom housing 12 about the periphery ofaperture 12 a. More particularly, prior to attaching bottom housing 12to top housing 10 of the incorporated disclosure, printed circuit board(PCB) 15, as depicted in FIG. 1, is placed in closing relation to cameraaperture 12 a on the interior side thereof. Opaque stiffener 19 is thenplaced in overlying relation to said PCB, and novel light guide lens 14is positioned in underlying relation to said PCB by inserting pegs 16,17, and 18 into peg bores 16 a, 17 a, and 18 a, respectively. Theinterior side of light guide lens 14 is depicted in FIG. 1 and said PCBoverlies said interior side.

Opening or window 15 a is formed in the center of PCB 15 and opening orwindow 19 a is formed in the center of stiffener 19 so that light rayscan enter light guide lens 14. Exterior surface 15 b of PCB 15 ispreferably black in color to provide a mask around camera aperture 12 aand to reduce stray light effects that may propagate towards the camera.

Light guide lens 14 includes a flange 20 at its opposite ends. Centerpart 22 of light guide lens 14 is raised with respect to said flanges,thereby creating cavity 24 (FIG. 3-5). Angle α is one hundred thirtyfive degrees (135°).

As best depicted in FIG. 2, peg 16 is positioned within arcuate recess26 formed in a transverse edge 28 a of raised part 22. Edge 28 a isbounded by longitudinally-extending edges 28 b, 28 b. Second transverseedge 30 a, on the opposite side of raised section 22, is bounded bylongitudinal edges 30 b, 30 b. FIG. 2 also indicates the positions offour (4) light emitting diodes (LEDs), collectively denoted 34.

Significantly, a first pair of said LEDs are positioned at a first endof light guide lens 14 on opposite sides of longitudinal axis ofsymmetry 14a of said light guide lens in symmetrical relation to oneanother, and a second pair of said LEDs are positioned at a second endof light guide lens 14 on opposite sides of said longitudinal axis ofsymmetry in symmetrical relation to one another.

Although PCB 15 is not depicted in FIG. 2, it should be understood thatLEDs 34 are secured to said PCB. The height difference between mountingflanges 20, 20 and raised section 22 is sufficient to accommodate saidLEDs.

FIG. 3 depicts the exterior side of light guide lens 14. Each wall 24 ais angled relative to the plane of raised section 22 at an angle α thatis equal to one hundred thirty five degrees (135°) as aforesaid.

FIG. 4 provides a cross-sectional view of optical light guide lens 14.All of the parts indicated by reference numerals in said FIG. 4 havebeen identified above.

FIG. 5 depicts bottom housing 12 having undercut 32 formed therein,defined by overhang 33. Each flange 20 of light guide lens 14 has anextent that exceeds the depth of its associated undercut 32 so thatspace 36 is created between raised center part 22 and overhang 33. Thereis a space 36 on each end of aperture 12 a and each of said spacesaccommodates two (2) LEDs.

Light rays entering the center of light guide lens 14 travel straightthrough raised section 22 but the light rays that encounter angled walls24 a are reflected therefrom in a way perhaps best explained by FIGS.6A, 6B, and 6C.

More particularly, FIG. 6A depicts a simple raytrace modeling thescattered light from the land in front of the LEDs. This shows the pathof the light up onto the mirror, where it is projected downwardly intothe field of view.

By increasing the bevel angle to forty five degrees (45°), as depictedin FIG. 6B, the scattered light from this area is kept inside the windowto contribute to the general illumination.

FIG. 6C depicts a simple model of the LED position. It shows that only asmall pencil of light will strike the mirror at a low angle, outside ofthe field of view of the camera and any reflected light will be directedonto the back of PCB 15.

The relative positioning of each LED 34 relative to cavity 24, boundedby sidewalls 24 a that are disposed at said angle a., is an importantpart of this invention. Each LED 34 is positioned in a space created bythe step between raised section 22 and mounting flange 20 of opticallight guide lens 14, said space being further created by the structuringof each mounting flange to exceed the depth of its associated undercut32 as explained above. As best understood in connection with FIG. 5,this positions each LED 34 at a substantially forty five degree (45°)angle relative to its associated sidewall 24 a. Each LED is thuspositioned outside of cavity 24 and the light from each LED must passthrough optical light guide lens 14 to illuminate the object beingsensed by the camera of the incorporated disclosure. This novelstructure eliminates the poor illumination characteristics of prior artdevices.

The slideability of the novel structure over the document or otherobject being viewed is another important feature of the invention. Thecontact between the device and the object eliminates the need for standsor manual holding of the device in hovering relation to the object. Theflat, low friction bottom of the device is understood from all of thefigures but is perhaps best understood in connection with FIGS. 4 and 5.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, and those madeapparent from the foregoing description, are efficiently attained andsince certain changes may be made in the above construction withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intended that allmatters contained in the foregoing description or shown in theaccompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended tocover all of the generic and specific features of the invention hereindescribed, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as amatter of language, might be said to fall there between.

Now that the invention has been described,

1. A device that enlarges text and images to enable a low vision person to see said text and images, comprising: a hollow structure including a top housing and a bottom housing that are connected to one another; a camera aperture formed in said bottom housing; a transparent light guide lens disposed in closing relation to said camera aperture so that all light entering said camera aperture must first pass through said light guide lens; a cavity formed in an exterior surface of said light guide lens; said cavity defined at its periphery by a plurality of sidewalls that are inclined to reflect light at an optimal angle; a plurality of light-emitting diodes positioned about said light guide lens; whereby said text and images are well-illuminated.
 2. The device of claim 1, further comprising: a first undercut formed in a first end of said bottom housing adjacent a first edge of said camera aperture and a second undercut formed in a second end of said bottom housing adjacent a second edge of said camera aperture; said light guide lens having a first mounting flange at a first end thereof, a second mounting flange at a second end thereof, and a raised section between said first and second mounting flanges; said first undercut adapted to receive said first mounting flange, said first undercut defined by a first overhang, and said second undercut adapted to receive said second mounting flange, said second undercut defined by a second overhang; said first mounting flange having a length in excess of a depth of said first undercut so that a first space is created between said raised section of said light guide lens and said first overhang; and said second mounting flange having a length in excess of a depth of said second undercut so that a second space is created between said raised section of said light guide lens and said second overhang.
 3. The device of claim 1, further comprising: a printed circuit board disposed in overlying relation to an interior side of said light guide lens; said plurality of light-emitting diodes including a first pair of light-emitting diodes secured to a first end of said printed circuit board adjacent a first end of said camera aperture; said plurality of light-emitting diodes further including a second pair of light-emitting diodes secured to a second end of said printed circuit board adjacent a second end of said camera aperture.
 4. The device of claim 3, further comprising: said first pair of light-emitting diodes disposed in said first space on opposite sides of a longitudinal axis of symmetry of said camera aperture; and said second pair of light-emitting diodes disposed in said second space on opposite sides of said longitudinal axis of symmetry of said camera aperture.
 5. The device of claim 2, further comprising: said inclined sidewalls being disposed at an angle of about one hundred thirty five degrees (1350) relative to said raised section.
 6. The device of claim 3, further comprising: a window formed in said printed circuit board, substantially centrally thereof, to allow light to pass therethrough and hence through said raised section of said light guide lens.
 7. The device of claim 6, further comprising: a stiffener disposed in overlying relation to an exterior side of said printed circuit board, and a window formed in said stiffener, substantially centrally thereof, to allow light to pass therethrough and hence through said raised section of said light guide lens.
 8. A generally flat, low profile device that enlarges text and images to enable a low vision person to see said text and images, comprising: a hollow structure including a top housing and a bottom housing that are connected to one another; a camera aperture formed in said bottom housing; said bottom housing adapted to contact an object to be viewed and to be supported by said object; said bottom housing adapted to be slidingly displaced during such contact with said object so that a user may move the device from one part of the object to another without lifting the device; a transparent light guide lens disposed in closing relation to said camera aperture so that all light entering said camera aperture must first pass through said light guide lens; a cavity formed in an exterior surface of said light guide lens; said cavity defined at its periphery by a plurality of sidewalls that are inclined to reflect light at an optimal angle; a plurality of light-emitting diodes positioned about said light guide lens; whereby said text and images are well-illuminated; and whereby the device is supported by the object being viewed and may be moved to differing parts of said object without being lifted therefrom. 